With a rock and underground soul, the iconic biker is the trend that never goes out of style.
Since its introduction on the international scene in the 50s, the biker jacket has revolutionized the autarchic and relaxed style that the fashion system had managed to obtain and ‘control’ over the years. But let’s go step by step, because it’s not in the 50s that its story begins.
The origins of the “Perfecto” in the Hollywood industry
The dress, since it was supposed exclusively to reflect the status symbol of a person reaches the postwar period: the beginning of recovery and consumerism. Man is increasingly fascinated by the world, he wants the adventure and the change. The fashion industry responds to this need by trying to spread new, more resistant, casual and ‘rebellious’ fabrics. Here comes the jeans, a poor but easy to make fabric, Western-inspired. On the other hand, the leather, but particularly the fateful leather biker: a massive jacket, with zip on the sleeves and diagonal closure, belt with buckle at the waist and metal inserts. It is the jacket of the youth people who have just met the “American dream”. The whole world hears about it and starts wearing it thanks to Marlon Brando in “The Wild” (1953). But believe it or not, these are not the origins of the leather jacket. It was born as “Flying Jacket” or ‘aviation jacket’; designed by the pilot Manfred Von Richthofen for a practical rather than an aesthetic factor. It is the only jacket with a warm and robust material, and in the same version it is also worn by the actress Marlene Dietrich in the film “Dishonored” (1931).
The “Perfecto” is instead the model worn by Marlon Brando in the role of Johnny Strabler. Originally it was conceived by the Schott brothers, who at the time opened a new business company in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, totally focused on the production of the bikers. The model is also a great discovery for one of the Harley-Davidson distributors, because it is gritty as the aesthetics of the motorcycle and capable of responding to weather needs.
This is how Marlon Brando in the film blends the stylistic dimension of the jacket with that of the two-wheeled vehicle, a frame that gave birth to the celebrity culture, because the whole world wanted to refer to the ‘rebellious’ archetype of the protagonist in the Hollywood film. From “The Wild One”, the iconic biker arrives in the film “Burnt Youth” (1955), worn by James Byron Dean as a symbol of a subversive young post-war generation and a more democratic fashion that turns towards capitalist society.
The anarchist years of youth subcultures
In the 60s it was Yves Saint Laurent who introduced it in the outfit of his ‘power-woman’, taking the risk of wearing it as a female item since it had only spread as a symbolic object of the revolutionaries. Anyway, the designer made it even more famous. Gradually, the leather jacket makes its way into a new London, the most “swing” of that period as the Time newspaper defines it. London was after the post-war period to regain an economic well-being; it becomes the center of the culture and the aesthetics of the Sixties. And, while the Beatles resound in the background, the British youth subculture of Teddy Boy arose, which had the need to wear an ‘anarchic’ style, and the leather, once again, turns out to be the most transgressive material to not go unnoticed.
Even in the USA, nothing is different. Leather becomes a domain of the “Black Panthers” party, the most revolutionary and tumultuous organization of the middle of 60s. Thus, it will be banned in university colleges and its production will be discontinued for many years, which would explain the more relaxed clothing adopted by the hippie counterculture. The leather jacket, after the period of the revolutions, was then relaunched in 1971 by the British designer Vivienne Westwood, together with her husband Malcolm McLaren, future well-known manager of famous rock bands of the time. Consequently, it appears in the film “Grease” (1978) worn by the subcultures of rockabilly (the evolution of Teddy Boy) and by greasers, as with Olivia Newton.
The evolution of the nail in the rock n ‘roll music scene
From the hippie floral clothing to the underground rock n ‘roll scene, the biker returns with a new revolutionary silhouette with metal applications, brooches, chains and “pyramid” studs inserted on the top like “nails”, an image that then introduced the use of the Italian term to called the jacket. The new biker is thus adopted by the grunge punk-rock industry as a symbolic item to be combined with a pair of Chelsea boots, once named “baba”. Wearing it are the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, Mick Jagger of Rolling Stone, Prince, Simon Lebon of Duran Duran and the Clash, move on to the metal industry such as the Iron Maiden, the Metallica and the Megadeth.
The leather jacket among the star system, from the 90s to nowadays
Among the streets of a cool and frenetic New York, Nineteen’s celebrities such as Cindy Crawford, Winona Ryder and Gwyneth Paltrow wore the leather jacket, which now seems to have acquired a rigorous outfit, with a tailoring that tends to resemble the classic blazer.
On the other hand, the arrival of the new era seems to have caused an amplification of trends and it is difficult to focused the own attention to a single model. In the star system there are those who preferred to be inspired to a knowed style, those who experimented with new technologies reflected in Y2K style with tight-fitting and tech clothes and finally those who felt part of a subculture such as psychobillys, goths and emo nail, who had adopted a long leather trench coat. Another influence of the time is hip-hop, the most popular and beloved music industry of the first decade. To wear the nail are the trendsetters such as Kanye West, Eminem, 50 cent, Jay-Z and Snopp Dogg.
Today, however, we are witnessing a revival of the leather jacket in all its shapes, colors and materials, but celebrities still choose the Perfecto as their favorite key piece. From the stars of the cinema and sport to rock stars, the biker jacket has become an indispensable must, able to give light and a glamorous, rock and fascinating allure to any look.
Scroll through the gallery to see how today’s celebrities wearing it.
Here is a selection of very cool bikers inspired to the “Perfecto”, that you can buy in order to have a successful look!
MEN BIKERS – ONLINE SHOPS:
ALLSAINTS
Price 429,00€. Available here.
BLK DNM
Price 700,95€. Available here.
DIESEL
Price 795,00€. Available here.
DEADWOOD
Price 700,95 €. Available here.
SCHOTT
Price 1,090,00€. Available here.
GIORGIO BRATO
Price 1,092,00€. Available here.
HTC
Price 1404,00€. Available here
OFF WHITE
Price 1,870,00€. Available here.
ACNE STUDIOS
Price 2,350,00€. Available here.
MARGIELA
Price 2,590,00€. Available here.
LOEWE
Price 2,900,00€. Available here.
RICK OWENS
Price 2,390,00€. Available here.
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
Price 2,990,00. Available here.
TOM FORD
Price 5690,00€. Available here.
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WOMAN BIKERS – ONLINE SHOPS:
DIESEL
Price 866,00€. Available here.
LTH JKT
Price 870,00€. Available here.
JUST CAVALLI
Price 1,022€. Available here.
ACNE STUDIOS
Price 1,300€. Available here.
FAITH CONNEXION
Price 1,325€. Available here.
OFF WHITE
Price 1,890€. Available here.
VERSACE
Price 2,380€. Available here.
MAISON MARGIELA
Price 2,590€. Available here.
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
Price 2,990€. Available here.
GUCCI
Price €3,300. Available here.
YVES SAINT LAURENT
Price €3,490. Available here.
DIOR
Price 4,200€. Available here.
DOLCE & GABBANA
Price 4,990€. Available here.
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